Biography
Five siblings from the Burguière family form the eclectic French folk ensemble Les Ogres de Barback. Starting as a quartet during the mid-1990s, the group gained recognition for its agile arrangements and wide-ranging palette that draws on French chanson roots, Eastern European folk traditions, post-punk energy, and material aimed at young listeners. From the 2001 album Croc' Noces onward, the band has issued every recording through its independently run Irfan (Le Label) imprint, building a vibrant and substantial discography highlighted by the breakthrough 2004 release Terrain Vague, the 2011 effort Comment je Suis Devenu Voyageur, multiple live documents, and the enduring Pitt Ocha children's series. Les Ogres sustained a steady output through the close of the 2010s, regularly appearing on French charts and delivering their ninth studio album, Amours Grises & Colères Rouges, in 2019. A fifth sibling entered the lineup in 2022, contributing to Pitt Ocha et Le Vélo À Propulsion Phonique and the ensuing big-top tour that continued the group's longstanding practice of performing beneath a circus tent. The collective marked its 30th anniversary in 2024.
The quartet first assembled in 1994 when Fred (vocals, accordion, guitar), Sam (violin, trumpet), Alice (cello, double bass), and her twin Mathilde (piano, reeds) began working together. Fred and Sam had already joined forces two years earlier inside the short-lived alternative rock outfit Les Minoritaires. After that band dissolved in 1993, the brothers carried on as a duo, shifting away from guitars to focus on accordion and violin. The arrival of Alice and Mathilde in 1994 allowed the Burguières to establish Les Ogres de Barback, fusing their shared influences into a distinctive blend of folk, rock, and global styles.
Rue de Temps marked their first full-length outing in 1997, with Irfan, Le Héros appearing two years later. Around the time of the 2000 release Fausses Notes et Repris de Justesse, which mixed live and studio tracks, the group launched its own touring package, Latcho Drum, named after Tony Gatlif's documentary. They simultaneously created Irfan (Le Label) and inaugurated the imprint with Croc' Noces in 2001. Two years afterward, La Pittoresque Histoire De Pitt Ocha signaled their initial venture into children's repertoire. The 2004 concept album Terrain Vague became their strongest commercial success to that point, registering on both French and Belgian charts. Subsequent years brought two additional live sets, the 2007 studio album Du Simple au Néant, and a further Pitt Ocha children's record.
Entering the 2010s, Les Ogres operated as a distinctive and in-demand live act that continued to register on French charts. Comment je Suis Devenu Voyageur peaked at number 16 in France and number 38 in Belgium, establishing a new benchmark. La Fabrique à Chansons, another live album, and the children's title Pitt Ocha et la Tisane de Couleurs preceded 2014's Vous m'emmerdez!, issued to commemorate the group's 20th year. Later in the decade they joined forces with fellow French sibling act Brotto Lopez for multiple tours, resulting in the 2018 live album Les Ogres de Barback & Le Bal Brotto Lopez. Amours Grises & Colères Rouges followed in 2019.
Moving into the subsequent decade, the siblings issued the 2020 double-disc live collection Chanter Libre et Fleurir before extending an invitation to younger brother Léo, who became the fifth member. His first appearance came on 2022's Pitt Ocha et Le Vélo À Propulsion Phonique and the accompanying big-top tour. Early in 2024, while observing the 30th anniversary, the band issued the single "La Pitt' Danse" alongside fellow French outfit La Machine.
The quartet first assembled in 1994 when Fred (vocals, accordion, guitar), Sam (violin, trumpet), Alice (cello, double bass), and her twin Mathilde (piano, reeds) began working together. Fred and Sam had already joined forces two years earlier inside the short-lived alternative rock outfit Les Minoritaires. After that band dissolved in 1993, the brothers carried on as a duo, shifting away from guitars to focus on accordion and violin. The arrival of Alice and Mathilde in 1994 allowed the Burguières to establish Les Ogres de Barback, fusing their shared influences into a distinctive blend of folk, rock, and global styles.
Rue de Temps marked their first full-length outing in 1997, with Irfan, Le Héros appearing two years later. Around the time of the 2000 release Fausses Notes et Repris de Justesse, which mixed live and studio tracks, the group launched its own touring package, Latcho Drum, named after Tony Gatlif's documentary. They simultaneously created Irfan (Le Label) and inaugurated the imprint with Croc' Noces in 2001. Two years afterward, La Pittoresque Histoire De Pitt Ocha signaled their initial venture into children's repertoire. The 2004 concept album Terrain Vague became their strongest commercial success to that point, registering on both French and Belgian charts. Subsequent years brought two additional live sets, the 2007 studio album Du Simple au Néant, and a further Pitt Ocha children's record.
Entering the 2010s, Les Ogres operated as a distinctive and in-demand live act that continued to register on French charts. Comment je Suis Devenu Voyageur peaked at number 16 in France and number 38 in Belgium, establishing a new benchmark. La Fabrique à Chansons, another live album, and the children's title Pitt Ocha et la Tisane de Couleurs preceded 2014's Vous m'emmerdez!, issued to commemorate the group's 20th year. Later in the decade they joined forces with fellow French sibling act Brotto Lopez for multiple tours, resulting in the 2018 live album Les Ogres de Barback & Le Bal Brotto Lopez. Amours Grises & Colères Rouges followed in 2019.
Moving into the subsequent decade, the siblings issued the 2020 double-disc live collection Chanter Libre et Fleurir before extending an invitation to younger brother Léo, who became the fifth member. His first appearance came on 2022's Pitt Ocha et Le Vélo À Propulsion Phonique and the accompanying big-top tour. Early in 2024, while observing the 30th anniversary, the band issued the single "La Pitt' Danse" alongside fellow French outfit La Machine.
Singles
